Devon Aoki is an American model and actress best known for replacing Naomi Campbell as the face of Versace at age 16 and for her role as Suki in 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003).
She began modeling at 13 and quickly became one of the most recognizable faces of early 2000s fashion, working with Chanel, Lancôme, and a string of top luxury houses before transitioning into film.
Who is Devon Aoki?
Devon Edwenna Aoki is an American model and actress born in New York City to a Japanese father and a German-English mother.
Her mixed heritage gave her a distinctive look that set her apart in the fashion world from the moment she stepped onto her first runway.
She rose to prominence in the late 1990s, walking for Chanel, Balenciaga, and Versace before her sixteenth birthday.
By the early 2000s, she had added film credits to her résumé, landing roles in major Hollywood action pictures.
Though Devon stepped back from full-time work after starting a family, her influence in fashion remains significant.
Models.com recognizes her as an icon in the industry, one of the rare figures who reshaped beauty standards at a global level.
Early Life of Devon Aoki
Devon Aoki was born on August 10, 1982, in New York City, and grew up primarily in Malibu, California.
Her father, Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki, was a former Olympic wrestler who founded the Benihana restaurant chain, one of the most successful Japanese steakhouse brands in the world.
Her mother, Pamela Hilburger, worked as a jewelry designer and painter of German and English descent.
Devon grew up in a household shaped by both entrepreneurial drive and artistic sensibility.
She has one older sister and one younger brother, plus four half-siblings, including DJ and music producer Steve Aoki, who has become a global star in electronic music.
Devon is also the aunt of model and singer Yumi Nu. Devon attended The American School in London for her high school years, spending around eight years living in the UK.
That international upbringing added another layer to her already culturally rich background.
Her entry into modeling came at 13, when she attended a Rancid concert and was scouted by a representative from Interview magazine.
It was through that connection, and later the attention of Kate Moss, that she began modeling in earnest and signed with Storm Model Management in 1996.
Devon Aoki Age / Birthday
Devon Aoki is 44 years old as of 2026, born on August 10, 1982. Her zodiac sign is Leo, a sign often linked with confidence, charisma, and a natural presence in the spotlight.
She has continued to make select appearances in fashion and editorial work well into her forties.
Devon Aoki Ethnicity and Nationality
Devon Aoki is American by nationality, holding US citizenship from birth. She is of Japanese descent on her father’s side and of German and English descent on her mother’s side.
That blend of Eastern and Western heritage gave her a look that fashion houses found uniquely compelling throughout the late 1990s and 2000s.
Devon Aoki Height and Weight
Devon Aoki stands at 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m), which made her one of the shorter models working at the top tier of the industry during her career.
Her reported weight is around 110 lbs (50 kg). Despite not fitting the standard height requirement for runway work, her presence and features helped redefine what the industry considered possible.
Devon Aoki Education
Devon Aoki attended The American School in London, an international private school, where she completed her high school education.
Her years in London overlapped with the early stages of her modeling career, as she balanced school with growing professional commitments.
Devon Aoki Career
Devon Aoki’s career spans two decades in fashion and film, beginning when she was barely a teenager.
She became one of the most photographed models of the late 1990s and early 2000s, then extended her reach into Hollywood action cinema before choosing family life over the spotlight.
Runway and Modeling Career (1996–2009)
Devon signed with Storm Model Management in London in 1996, at just 14 years old.
Her runway debut came in 1997, when she walked for Balenciaga, Comme des Garçons, and Chanel in the same season.
In 1998, at just 16, she replaced Naomi Campbell as the face of Versace. That milestone established her as a genuine force in global fashion, not just a promising newcomer.
Over the following years, she appeared in advertising campaigns for Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Kenzo, Hugo Boss, L’Oréal, Lancôme, and Tiffany & Co.
She also walked the runway for Oscar de la Renta, Diane von Furstenberg, Jean Paul Gaultier, Celine, Baby Phat, and Marc Jacobs. For four consecutive years, she served as the face of Lancôme cosmetics.
Her magazine cover work was equally extensive. She appeared on the covers of international editions of Vogue in Germany, Russia, Japan, and Korea, along with i-D, Nylon, Interview, Harper’s Bazaar Japan, and numerous other titles worldwide.
In September 2007, she collaborated with Levi’s to design a clothing line for Asian markets called Levi’s +D, covering everything from denim to swimwear.
That same year, she contributed to photographer Leslie Kee’s charity photo book “Super Stars,” dedicated to the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Acting Career (2003–2009)
Devon made her film debut in the 2003 comedy Death of a Dynasty. That same year, she landed a key supporting role as street racer Suki in 2 Fast 2 Furious, one of the biggest action films of the decade.
In 2005, she appeared in Sin City, directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, playing the silent assassin Miho.
The film earned a nomination from the Broadcast Film Critics Association for Best Ensemble Cast.
She then took the lead role in DOA: Dead or Alive (2006), playing warrior princess Kasumi in the action film adapted from the video game franchise.
Her later film credits include War (2007) alongside Jet Li and Jason Statham, Mutant Chronicles (2008) in which she played Corporal Valerie Duval, and D.E.B.S. (2004).
She also appeared in the 2009 comedy Vampire Hamlet. Devon also featured in several high-profile music videos during this period.
Her credits include “Electric Barbarella” by Duran Duran, “Act a Fool” by Ludacris, “In Those Jeans” by Ginuwine, and later “M.I.L.F.$” by Fergie and “Waste It on Me” by Steve Aoki featuring BTS.
Return to Fashion (2017–Present)
After stepping back from full-time work to raise her family, Devon returned to the runway in 2017 for a Moschino fashion show and worked on advertising campaigns for Sephora x Moschino and Hugo Boss that same year.
In 2018, she walked for designer Jeremy Scott, starred in an American Vogue editorial, and appeared in campaigns for Swarovski, Moschino Fragrance, and Nordstrom.
The following year, Harper’s Bazaar included her in its prestigious “Bazaar Icons 2019” issue, photographed by Mario Sorrenti.
She also appeared in the 2015 documentary Jeremy Scott: The People’s Designer and the 2017 documentary Double Dutchess: Seeing Double, connected to Fergie’s album release.
Devon Aoki Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Death of a Dynasty | Herself |
| 2003 | 2 Fast 2 Furious | Suki |
| 2004 | D.E.B.S. | Dominique |
| 2005 | Sin City | Miho |
| 2006 | DOA: Dead or Alive | Kasumi |
| 2007 | War | Kira |
| 2008 | Mutant Chronicles | Cpl. Valerie Duval |
| 2009 | Vampire Hamlet | Devon |
Devon Aoki Awards and Recognition
Devon Aoki appeared in Sin City (2005), a film that received a nomination for Best Ensemble Cast from the Broadcast Film Critics Association.
Models.com lists her as an icon in the fashion industry, one of a small group recognized for reshaping the industry’s standards during their era.
Her influence on the representation of Asian women in mainstream Western fashion and film has been widely noted by fashion publications.
Devon Aoki Husband
Devon Aoki married James Bailey on April 23, 2011. The two became engaged in 2010 after meeting in their late twenties.
Bailey is a Harvard-educated financier and businessman who has worked in investment and private equity.
The couple has maintained a private family life largely away from public attention.
Devon announced her retirement from films and full-time modeling shortly after starting her family, choosing to focus on raising her children.
There have been no divorce rumors, and the couple celebrated more than a decade of marriage as of 2026.
In December 2025, James Bailey attracted media attention after his arrest in Coral Gables, Florida, in connection with an alleged hit-and-run incident.
Authorities alleged he struck a man riding a stand-up scooter at a crosswalk while driving an Audi SQ7 SUV.
He was charged with hit-and-run involving serious bodily injury and resisting without violence, then released on bond.
The case remained ongoing as of September 2026, and all allegations are subject to legal proceedings.
Devon Aoki Children
Devon Aoki and James Bailey have four children. Their first child, son James Hunter Bailey, was born on June 10, 2011. Their second child, daughter Alessandra Linville Bailey, was born in 2013.
Eleanor Talitha Bailey followed in 2015, and the couple welcomed a fourth child, Evelyn, in 2020.
Devon has spoken about prioritizing her children’s upbringing over her career, and the family has kept their children’s lives largely out of the public eye. Alessandra did appear in a Guess Kids advertising campaign in 2018.
Devon Aoki Net Worth
Devon Aoki’s estimated net worth is $30 million as of 2026, as reported by Celebrity Net Worth.
Her wealth comes from two decades of high-fashion modeling, film roles, brand endorsement deals, and the Levi’s +D clothing collaboration.
Modeling and Brand Income
Her runway and campaign work generated the bulk of her earnings.
Devon’s campaigns for Lancôme, Chanel, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, and Tiffany & Co. spanned the most lucrative years of the early 2000s modeling boom.
Serving as the face of Lancôme for four years alone represented a significant contract.
Film Income
Her acting work added to her wealth. 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) grossed over $236 million at the worldwide box office, and her role as Suki made her one of the most recognizable faces from the franchise.
Sin City (2005) was another major commercial release, adding to her screen profile and earnings.
Benihana Trust
Devon and her half-brother Steve Aoki were named equal heirs to the Benihana Protective Trust established by their father Rocky Aoki before his 2008 death.
Following years of legal battles against their stepmother Keiko Ono Aoki, the New York Court of Appeals ruled in their favor in 2016, confirming each as a 50% beneficiary of the trust.
Under its terms, however, the money was only to be released when each heir reached age 45. Steve accessed his share in 2022.
Devon, born in 1982, turned 44 in 2026, meaning her portion of the estimated $50 million trust was expected to transfer to her in 2027.
Devon Aoki Social Media
Devon Aoki is active on Instagram as @devonAoki, where she shares updates on her life, family, and occasional fashion appearances.
Conclusion
Devon Aoki built one of the most distinctive careers in 1990s and 2000s fashion, replacing Naomi Campbell at 16 and appearing in films like Sin City and 2 Fast 2 Furious before choosing family over the spotlight.
Her selective return to editorial work in the late 2010s and her pending Benihana inheritance keep her story relevant well into the 2020s.